


Heritage

by jbiggs



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:33:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21764581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jbiggs/pseuds/jbiggs
Summary: Emma Swan believes to have found her true calling: ranching. Its a beautiful life. Unforgiving at times, but truly fulfilling. She'll always be a rancher, she knows it. And she might have a little help.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be a long fic. Its going to be a big one. I beg you, please be patient. I won't update regularly, I have work and a family to take care of. But I will not let this die before it's time. I'll try to update at least every week. If you see mistakes, please let me know. I dont have a beta. I truly hope you all enjoy this. I'm enjoying writing this a lot.

Emma Swan found herself on top on Bear Creek Canyon, looking out over the edge at the entire canyon. It was the only spot, accessible by horse or ATV, where you could look over the entire valley in one glance. It was, in her opinion, the most beautiful view on the whole ranch. Granted, the whole ranch was a beauty. Partly set in the prairies of Wyoming, and the mountains, you couldn’t ask for a beautiful place to call home. At least Emma couldn’t. 

It all started 5 years ago when she was working a case out of Boston that brought her here. In her ‘life before’ as she called it, she was a licensed bail bondsperson. She tracked a man who skipped out on bail out to Wyoming to lay low. It took her two weeks of snooping around before she found him. And in that two weeks, she had fallen in love with Wyoming. The mixture of beautiful mountains and wide open prairie, she couldn’t even imagine going back to Boston. But she did. She took her bail jumper back, packed up and left that same week. At that time, she had saved quite a bit of money anyway, so she knew she was safe to do so. When she first got there, she got a small apartment, leased it by the month in case she decided to leave again, and began searching for work. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much work in the way of bail bondsperson work, so she quickly figured out she would have to do something else. With all the energy work around, she got a job working in a coal mine. All she had known about coalmining was what she saw on TV: hard hats with headlamps, coal dust all over the workers, and black lung. But she quickly found that they did things different here. They were open pit mines, run with the largest trucks and equipment in the world. And she got to run some of them. 

The first two years were spent driving haul trucks and few other pieces of machinery. She did really enjoy it. Not so much the people she worked with, but she did enjoy the work. After those two years though, she figured she should move on and try something else. That job paid a lot, and saving most of it, she had a very nice cushion. So she moved on over just south of Sheridan, where she found a ranch job there. She took to the work immediately. It was hard work; long hours, heavy labor, and not a lot of sleep. But she really did enjoy it. She thought she might have found her true calling. Especially with all the horse work she had here. 

The Mills Ranch was run by Henry and Cora Mills, whose families had been here in the west for several generations. Henry Mills’ family had settled the very land they sat on, along with two other families: The Nolans, who ran the mountain side of the ranch, and The Lucas’, who ran the south end. The two other families had lost their claims to the land not long after settling, and the Mills decided to keep them on to let them run it. Even though they don’t own the land anymore, it will still forever be their home.   
Emma Swan thoroughly enjoyed her life there. The work was enjoyable and very fulfilling. She believed ranching to be the only thing she had ever done that she truly enjoyed. It’s long hours with no sleep to make sure a sick calf doesn’t die. It’s weeks working with the same horse knowing that, little by little, they’re getting better and better. She couldn’t ask for anything better than this. 

The first three years working there were very hard. She got most of the grunt work: mucking stalls, warming horses up, saddling them for other people, throwing hay bales, out fencing by herself for sometimes days at a time. But she knew it wouldn’t last forever. And it didn’t. One day, while she was working with a foal, her immediate boss, Lily, had come and told her that Mr. Mills wanted to have lunch with her. So she went and changed into a nicer shirt and went into “big house”, as everyone called it, to have lunch. 

Mr. Mills met her at the door and invited her inside. He was a very polite and courteous man. Even though he came from money, he never acted like it, and he was never afraid to get down to business and get dirty along with the rest of the hands. Emma removed her boots and followed him inside. He led her to the dining room, where their food was being brought to them. And that was where Emma first saw her. Regina Mills. 

She was sitting their next to where her father would sit, and looked every bit as elegant as Emma had imagined. She was only ever seen when she would go riding, accompanied by a man or two usually. All the other hands had always went on about her beauty and elegance, but Emma had never seen her until now. 

Emma hesitated for a moment, then sat down and waited for Mr. Mills to sit down and begin speaking to her. Emma was so nervous, she had thought she was being fired. She didn’t know what she could’ve done wrong, but that’s never meant anything. In states like Wyoming, right to work states, employers don’t even need a reason to fire you. No notice, no reason. Just out the door. 

“I’m so very glad you accepted my lunch invitation, Miss Swan.” Mr. Mills started. “I understand you’ve been with us for three years now?” He asked, eyeing her as her offered her something in a pot.

“Yes sir, three years next month.” Emma replied quickly. She was so nervous, she fumbled over the ladle getting her food. “Mainly the barn work, but I’ve helped the fencing and cowboy crews too.” She said as she finished scooping her food in her bowl. God, it smelled delicious. 

“That’s very good. We’ve heard great things about you. You always complete your work, and then some.” Mr. Mills said smiling to Emma. “We’re very fortunate to have you.” 

“Thank you, sir.” Emma calmed a little at that. Maybe they weren’t going to fire her. 

“After looking over your initial application and resume, it seems you have a lot of skills. Equipment operation, truck driving, and…. A bail bondsperson?” He said looking up from his bowl. “That sounds interesting. Might I ask what that might entail?” 

Emma was on edge now. In three years of employment here, why would they be wondering about that now? “Well sir, it’s kind of like bounty hunting. I offered people bail money, and if they didn’t show up for their court hearing, I would go and bring them back to the police in order to get my money back. I was fully licensed in the state of Massachusetts.” She said, her professional voice taking over. 

Mr. Mills was drawn into her speaking. He very much enjoyed hearing Emma explain what she did. Not so much because the subject itself interested him, but because he genuinely enjoyed listening to people talk about what they love and enjoy. “Did you enjoy your work, Miss Swan?” He asked intently. 

“Emma is fine, sir. And yes I did. I had done it for a couple years before one of my cases actually brought me to Wyoming. I always watched movies and old westerns staged out here, but I never truly knew how beautiful it was. Once I found him, and got him back to Boston in one piece, I knew I couldn’t stay there. I knew I belonged out here.” She said, smiling as she spoke. She truly enjoyed talking about it because, to her, she had found her calling out here. 

“Well I’m glad you did, Emma.” He said smiling. “I’m Henry, as well then. Anyway, the reason I ask is because I’m wondering if you would ever be open to using those skills again?” He asked her, now with a serious expression on his kind face. “I ask because there’s a certain situation we’d like to discuss with you,” He said, indicating Regina as well. “But I completely understand if you don’t. If not, all would be well, and you may continue on your work as before.” He said smiling still. 

Emma sat there and thought for a minute. No, of course she wouldn’t mind. But she didn’t know where this conversation was about to turn. Illegal or what, she had no idea, and she didn’t want to accept before she knew exactly what she was getting into. She knew she had to be careful now. Not that she feared anything about Henry, or his family. More so that she wouldn’t want to agree to do something, and then go behind herself and say no. She always did her best to keep her word. 

“Mr-Henry, I can’t very well agree to something that I’m not fully informed on. So, if you’d like to explain it to me, and then I tell you if I can be of any help, then I’d happily listen to you. But I can’t just blindly agree, you see?” She said carefully. She didn’t want to upset him, or offend him in anyway. 

“No, no I understand. Of course, Emma. Now then, if you’re willing to listen, I’ll have my daughter explain it to you. She more read into the situation than myself.” He smiled, pointing Regina who was smiling and looking back and forth between the other two. 

Regina extended her hand to Emma, who promptly shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, Emma. I’ve seen your work all over our ranch and I must say, you are quite an impressive woman.” She smiled graciously. “I’ll get right into it. My brother, Jefferson, has been missing for a few weeks. Now I’m sure that everybody on the ranch probably talks about him and his troubles.” She asked knowingly. Emma just blushed and nodded her head. 

“I know, that’s neither here nor there. We believe he’s hiding at one of our cabins in the mountain, probably high and tweaked out of his mind.” Regina stated bluntly. Henry just scowled at her. “I know, daddy, but he is. He’s your son, and my brother, and I love him too. But I’m done coddling him and letting him do this to us.” She turned back to Emma, and softened her look at her. 

“We can’t bring this matter to the police anymore. It will drag our name through the mud more so than he already has. And the ranching community out here is so small, we don’t want any of our neighbors or business associates knowing the details. We need him brought in, so we may take him to a rehab center out of state. That’s all.” She stated simply, as if it was just another business transaction. 

Emma was off in her mind though, having day dreamed of the brunette beauty sitting before her. She heard everything she said, and it had registered, but Emma was still off in la-la land. Finally she snapped out of it. “So, you know where he is, and you know what he’s doing, and yet you need me to go get him?” She asked carefully. 

“We need this matter to stay closed, we need someone we can trust to get in and get him out without too much noise.” Regina stated, smiling. “He’ll be in bad shape, he may even try to fight. But we need this done without him dying. If you had to knock him and drag him home, that’s fine.” 

Emma sat there for a moment, thinking about this. How could it go wrong? Well, he doesn’t know her. He could trying to kill her. He could over power her, knock her out. Then what? She doesn’t know him or what he’s capable of. Of course, she never knew that about her other clients as well, other than what their charges were for being arrested, so she always had an idea of how to plan apprehending them. So, while this is different of course, it is kind of the same. 

“We’ll pay you, of course.” Regina stated, smiling. “$50,000. As long as he’s not dead.” She said chuckling. Now Emma was blatantly staring at her. The money she had used in her career was state backed money. Not technically her’s. This was different. Fifty grand for one job. One person. But Regina, noticing her stare, was troubled. “Do you need more? I mean, $100,000 would work too. As daddy said, you have quite impressive skills and we very much need this done.” She said hurriedly. 

Emma was panicking in her head. $100,000! How the hell could she say no to that! How could she say yes? That would be highway robbery, she knew that. But they offered it. Would it be rude to turn it down? She had no idea. Only one way to find out.

“I can do it, Miss Mills. But I’ll need a few days to plan it.” She said finally. She had no idea what she was doing right now, but she didn’t want to risk offending anyone, or downright pissing them off. So she’ll figure it out, as she always has. 

Regina sighed and smiled. “Thank you so much. And please, call me Regina.” She smiled at Emma as she slid her a piece of paper to her, and let her hand rest on Emma’s for a moment. Just a moment. “This is his location. We’ll have someone drive you there, whenever you’re ready, Emma.” 

Henry quickly ended the lunch, after everyone finished their meal and conversation, and Emma left the big house. She finished her chores that day, but her mind was somewhere else. And not on the job at hand. She was spilling buckets and feed everywhere. Her boss, and friend, Lily was giving her no end of shit. “Jeez, I was worried they were firing you. I figure you would’ve have your anxiety in the house, not after you left the house” She said to Emma while laughing. Emma played it off as an off day, but Lily had a different idea. An idea that, for now, she would’ve voice. 

Later that night, Emma couldn’t seem to drift off to sleep. She had been thinking about the brunette beauty who sat before he that day. The glow her hair held, the radiant skin, and her most beautiful smile. It’s known to almost everyone that Emma is a lesbian, she always refused to hide herself because of other people’s sake. She’s her own person, and refused to be belittled. But she doesn’t flaunt it either. She does her job, jokes a little, and goes home. But if anybody had been looking, they definitely would’ve noticed her gaping at Regina all lunch long. 

So the next day, Emma got up and promptly went to work. She was just getting into the barn when Lily had come up to her. 

“Morning, traitor. Why didn’t you tell me?” She practically screamed at Emma. But Emma had no idea what was going on. 

“What do you mean, tell you what, Lily?” Emma asked as she brought her coffee to her lips and drank.   
“That you got promoted, dummy.” Lily said chuckling. “What, did you forget already?” 

Now Emma was paying attention. “What do you mean?” She asked Lily intently. 

“You got promoted is all I heard. You’re supposed to report over to the big barn this morning. I thought you were just getting the rest of your things. Most of it’s gone already. Saddle, tack, blankets, and your bridles.” Now Lily was confused. 

Emma quickly sobered up and played it off though. “Yeah yeah, I was just getting my… jacket. Sorry. I’ll see you later Lily.” She said, quickly gathering her few things and leaving. Heading to the big barn. 

When she got to the big barn, it definitely wasn’t an understatement. It was huge. It was Regina’s riding barn, where she worked her giant beauty, Rocinante. Her most beloved horse on the whole place, and probably her best friend. Emma had been to it, of course. But now, it felt different. Like a different atmosphere. 

When she entered she saw some familiar faces. Two girls from the cowboy crew were loading up the salt and mineral blocks to take out, Cora Mills was walking around and pointing at things while talking to someone, and Regina was over by the corral working with a foal. She could see it was a very tiny foal, no more than two weeks old, and Regina was just walking it around with the halter on it. Emma had met Cora a few times over the years, usually in this setting. Pointing something out to her that needed done and then leaving. It wasn’t ever in a rude manner, more just trying to get things done and moving on. 

Emma worked her way over to Regina, more just watching than anything. She was in aww as she watched the brunette handle the foal. She truly was a natural. There was a man standing over in the corner. A tall, slender man. He wore faded Levi jeans, button up shirt, a newer white felt hat, and worn roper style boots. Nothing out of the ordinary, especially for Wyoming. Except his gun. Emma eyed a 1911 sitting on his hip, and a star next to it. A silver star. US Marshal, if she had to guess. She got to the coral fence and leaned on it, nodding her hello to the man. He nodded back, but hadn’t said anything. Again, nothing unusual.   
“Emma!” Regina called, smiling so bright she could blind the sun with it. Emma just stood there like an oaf and smiled at her. These truly weren’t her finest moments. 

“Hey Regina.” She said finally. She heard the man in the corner chuckle lightly, but didn’t say anything. She knew he didn’t mean any harm. “He’s a beautiful little guy.” She said nodding towards the foal. 

“Indeed. This is Roanoke, my newest friend.” Regina beamed. She was truly enjoying working with him. “He’s a week old, and already so smart.” She said as she petted his head and neck more. He was antsy, but accepted her cuddling anyway. Emma smiled at the sight, it was definitely an enjoyable moment. “This is my friend David Nolan, his family runs the mountain side of our ranch. He came today as a favor to me, he also moved your things over here for you.”

Emma turned to the man and shook his hand. “I’ve heard good things about you, Emma. I’m glad to work with you.” He said as he removed his hat to shake her hand. “I’ve been asked to give you a full view of the ranch. We’ll drive for most of it, and ride for some of it. I’ve got my horse already loaded up if you wanna get yours.” He said to her, still smiling. 

Emma was taken aback some, but quickly got in gear. She went out to find her horse, Bug, was in the loose corals in the back with the others. She walked up to him and haltered him and brought him inside. She gave him a quick brush down and saddled him up, leaving the bridle on the saddle horn. David appeared just as she was finishing up. 

“I know this is all abrupt and such, but its good you catch on quick.” He smiled to her. 

“Can I ask what’s going on? I haven’t really been told anything.” Emma asked politely, but sternly. She didn’t like being left out of the know.

“Regina told me about your new assignment. She also asked me if I’d help out as much as you need. So for the duration of this, I’m basically at your disposal.” He smiled as he opened the trailer door. She loaded up Bug and stepped as he shut it.   
“Can I ask why you guys don’t handle this?” She asked, nodding towards the star and gun on his belt.

“I offered several times, but Regina doesn’t want this to become a public thing. And there’s no way I could get to him, bring him, and cart him off without making it official.” He stated simply. 

Satisfied for now, Emma got in the truck as David put it in gear and starting heading out. Regina met them at the gate and Emma rolled her window down as she approached. 

“I’m sorry I haven’t got to explain all this yet, Emma. Between my mother and father, I’ve been trying to organize and get everything ready and I know I should’ve atleast let you know in advance. If you need to slow down or stop for a while, just let David know. He’ll take good care of you.” Regina smiled as she laid a hand on Emma’s arm. “When you guys get back, come find me, so I can properly explain everything, ok?” She asked empathetically. Emma just nodded and they drove off, heading out to the rest of the ranch. 

Emma had seen quite a bit of the ranch over the last three years, or so she thought. There was so much land. She knew they had a lot, but she never really thought about it either. But between the several hours already of driving around, and David’s in depth knowledge of the land, the history, and what it does for them today, she was beginning to get overwhelmed with it all. She could never remember all this. Finally they got to the mountain range where David’s family ‘ruled’ as he laughingly put it. He parked and they got their horses out. 

Emma tightened the cinch up and put the bridle on Bug. He was an older horse, but she got him at auction because the previous owners were afraid of his ‘bucking.’ Emma quickly figured out he crow hopped when you first sat on him as a way of playing around. She didn’t mind though. He was cheaper because of it, and she thoroughly enjoyed riding him. And she believed he enjoyed it too. 

They set of towards the north, watching the mountains get bigger as they got closer. David continued giving Emma full details of it all, you could tell he enjoyed it. Apparently the land his family originally settled was taken from them in a card game by his great-great grandfather and his family was left homeless for it. A few years after the Mills family arrived, they acquired the land through a loan payment. The same people who swindled it lost it. His great-great grandfather refused to let Mills give it to him, but agreed to stay on and work it for them. And so the tradition carried on down the years. David revealed that their family estate lawyer drew up a contract with the Mills, saying if they ever tried to sell the land, they had to try to sell it to the Nolans first. Their lawyer, a one Mr. Gold, as David calls him, was quite clever. He was everyone’s lawyer. From the Mills all the way to the Lucas’. And he was the best. He didn’t specialize in any one area, he did all of it. Needless to say, Emma was already impressed with it all.

They made their way across flowing creeks and step mountain sides. Emma checked her watch and found it to be 1pm already. Luckily, she packed some snacks. She picked up a piece of jerky from her bag and threw David a piece, who was already snacking on his own, but gladly accepted it. Then they came on it. Bear Creek Canyon.

Emma knew it couldn’t get any better than this. This land, this beauty. She knew this was home, forever. She would do anything to never leave this place. David let her revel in this moment, he knew it all too well. That look of amazement at the beauty of this place. He still had it too. 

They traveled along, where David pulled up on his reigns and pointed to a cabin on the other side of the canyon. “That’s where Jefferson will be tomorrow. He’ll be back tonight, but based on his movements in the last week, he gets in at night and parties, then sleeps it off during the day. That’ll be the best time for us to get him.” He stated evenly.

“Us?” Emma asked, confused. “I thought you couldn’t be involved.” She asked, look at David.

“I know I technically can’t be, but if something were to happen and it does go south, shots are fired, anything bad happens, it’ll be a lot easier to explain if I’m here versus you being there by yourself. And believe me, if something happens, and the local sheriff gets involved, you’ll definitely want me there. He’s such an asshole about the small things, this would be a field day for him.” He said as he was eyeing the cabin. 

Emma just nodded. She understood it all, but she doesn’t want to upset anybody. But then again, how could she say no to a US Marshal?   
They made their way back to the pickup and loaded up their horses. They talked about their lives and such on the way back, David filling in the rest of his family history. Emma give him some details of her life: the bail bonds position she acquired, going through the foster system, some of the trouble she got in as a teenager. Basically anything that he could find in her record. She didn’t want to come across as dishonest and give him a reason not to trust her. She didn’t get a bad vibe from him, but it was more for her protection. 

When David dropped her and Bug off, she quickly unsaddled him and gave him some fresh oats before turning him back out. She made her way to her little one bedroom bunkhouse and sat down in her recliner. Before she knew it, she was dozing off before she finally remembered: she was supposed to chick in with Regina. But it was too late. She was out like a light. And dreaming of one particular person all night. A beautiful brunette, with the most beautiful smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I shortened this one a little bit more than I would've liked, but it seemed the only reasonable place to let it go. I hope yall enjoy :)

When Emma woke to her alarm at 4am, she didn’t feel as rested as normal. No, it hadn’t been a very physical day, but it was mentally exhausting. Trying to remember everything, thinking more and more about her new ‘assignment’ as she called it, and riding for that long. She hadn’t rode that long in a while. She got up and made her way to the kitchen and made her coffee. Even though she was a morning person by nature, she definitely needed her coffee. One thing she missed about Boston was the VERY good coffee she could get. Here it was mainly Folgers or Yuban. It just wasn’t the same for her. But she drank it anyway because some coffee is better than no coffee. 

She started thinking about today. What she’d have to do, and how. She just didn’t know. Of course, she’d had jobs like this before. But this one was definitely different. It was like an old west movie, only it probably wouldn’t end as well. Fuck it, she thought. She’ll just wing it. That’s always worked in the past, she chuckled to herself. She went and got dressed. She wore her usual faded wranglers, long sleeve white button up shirt and her regular work boots. Since moving here, she’s found this to be the normal attire for almost everyone, and has happily adapted to it. Only today, she slipped her Glock in her back under the shirt. She didn’t know how this would end, but she needed to be prepared for anything. She added a small taser and some mace as well. She hoped she wouldn’t need them, but its better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. Emma loaded her coffee in her thermos and her Yeti and made her way out at 5. She wanted to be early and prepared. 

When Emma got the big barn, she was surprised to see David already there. “Morning” She mumbled as she walked past him. He smiled at her, but didn’t say anything. He doesn’t look like a morning person either, Emma thought. He was busy reading some files, it looked like. He checked his pistol and returned it to its holster.

“I didn’t know 1911s were standard issue.” Emma said smiling slightly as she eyed his pistol. 

“Well, its not. But I guess that’s one of the perks of being one of the only three Marshals in the state.” David said smiling lightly towards her. He reached into his bag and pulled out what Emma eyed as a Sig Saur .40 caliber. Now that’s a standard issue. He checked it and handed it towards Emma, butt first. “Just in case.” He said lightly. 

Emma took it without mentioning her own. She didn’t need to hide it, of course. Wyoming is one of the three states in the whole country who don’t require any kind of permit to carry, open or concealed. She checked through it like any professional would. It was a good piece, but she never was a fan of the .40s. She preferred a .45, or a 10 millimeter. Better range, and harder hit. She thanked David, who also supplied her with a shoulder hostler setup for it. They both went about their own details for the morning: David reading through his file intently and Emma getting her horse warmed through. She would ride Sparrow today. He was a younger Appaloosa. 17 hands high and sturdy as a rock. He had wonderful footing and a pleasant disposition. She didn’t get a chance to ride him a lot, so she really enjoyed it when she did. 

It was nearing 6am and Emma was feeling a little nervous. The sun was up and shining, and she didn’t know when to start. She felt more on the bottom of the ranks now. David, being both a US Marshal and longtime employee, she felt he had the reigns, so to speak. So she kept eyeing her watch and working with Sparrow. 

Regina entered around 6:30. She was wearing a beautiful braided design Emma had never seen before, a nice lighter tee shirt, and some VERY nice jeans that complimented her brilliant figure. Emma openly gaped at her when she saw her. David just smirked as he closed the files up and adjusted his shirt. He was wearing the same clothes as yesterday. He didn’t strike Emma as the flashy type at all. Even though she knew he had money, he was a legitimate working man. 

Regina greeted Emma as she walked by, going to get her own horse. “I’m glad someone’s taken the time to work with him.” She said smiling and pointing towards Sparrow. “Most of the employees here don’t like anything except Quarter Horses and Arabians. So it’s nice to see someone who doesn’t judge based on breed or papers.” 

Emma blushed a little and continued saddling him up. “I’ve never been one to care about the breed, really. Each horse is unique and different, just like people.” She said smiling. She finished up and loaded her horse as Regina finished saddling up Rociante. He was a beautiful sorrel horse, and Regina’s best friend. Emma watched as she moved gracefully around him, and how graceful he reacted to her. They were one, together. She finished and loaded him up as well and shut the trailer door. They got in the pickup and started their drive. They were nervous, and quiet. Even David was unusually quiet. 

It took about an hour and a half of straight driving to get to the pull off. They all unloaded their horses and finished getting ready. They all checked their weapons and placed them in their respectful setting and mounted up. They rode mostly in silence, except for the horses breathing hard and the sound of their hooves hitting rocks. But something was happening in the background. Emma and Regina, while they haven’t spoke a word, were smiling and giggling every few minutes. David just smiled at them and stayed quiet. 

Finally they reached Bear Creek Canyon and stood there for a few moments. David finally broke the silence. “Emma and I will head around and come in from the back. We’ll stop and hobble the horses a hundred feet away and walk up. Don’t draw your weapon, but don’t be afraid to if something happens.” He said to Emma, giving her a knowing look. “It’ll be scary. You’ll feel the adrenaline start pumping and you’ll start trying to make movies ahead of time. Don’t. Just remember your training. I know you had a conceal carry in Boston, so you went through extensive training for it. Remember that.” He was being sincere, but firm. “Regina, you go in through the front, and try to talk him into coming. If he starts getting wild, Emma and I will come in and subdue him. Quietly.”

Regina looked like she was ready to have a panic attack. She knew Jefferson would never try to hurt her, but being a drug addict for so long, she wondered how he would react to David and Emma. Emma placed her hand on Regina’s. “It’ll be ok. This will go smoothly and he’ll be in rehab before you know it.” She said softly.

Everyone headed off in their respectful positions. David and Emma circled around and walked in, just as planned. Regina saw them at the back and David gave her a thumbs up. She dismounted and walked towards the door. 

“Jefferson,” Regina called out. “Jefferson, it’s me, Regina. I know you’re in there, please come out and talk to me. I’m here to take you home.” She spoke out softly. Just then, the front door opened and Jefferson emerged. He was awake and alert, but you could see he was in bad shape. Skinny as a bean pole, hair falling out, and sunken eyes. Emma knew this look very well. So did Regina. 

“What do you mean, bring me home? Mom and Dad don’t want me there. That’s why I’m out here, in exile.” He slurred, almost crying. “They’re so embarrassed that their son, the great fuck up, did a few drugs and slept with the wrong person, they put me out here all by myself and left me.” Now he was crying. Regina knew there wouldn’t be any point in arguing, he was drunk or high or both, and you can’t reason with someone when they’re like that. 

While Jefferson was admitting all his sins outside, David and Emma slipped inside and was checking the rooms to make sure no one was there. David went ahead and came up behind him, just to be sure he could protect Regina. Regina gave David the nod, which David understood, and hit Jefferson on the back of the head, knocking him out.

“Clear!” David called out to Emma, and began gathering Jefferson up to take him back to the horses. But Emma hadn’t answered yet. “Emma?” David asked loudly, leaving Jefferson on the ground with Regina and heading inside, gun raised. “Emma, are you there?”

Emma was standing still, the Sig Saur still in her hand. She hadn’t moved since she entered the room. A man stood there, with a gun pointed at her head, and a claw in her neck. It looked like an amputee arm with a claw at the end. Or a hook, maybe. “Don’t move, love. I’d hate to waste such a beautiful figure.” He sneered at her. She only stood there a second before kicking him as hard as she possibly could in the groin. He grounded loudly as he went down, and brought his pistol up. 

Emma was faster though. She brought hers up and shot four times, twice in the chest, once in the head, and one missed as he went down. But she heard more shots, and fearing more people, she turned and fired before thinking, hitting the wall next to David.

“Emma, goddamnit, cease fire!” He cried as he ducked and turned back behind the wall. Emma heard him though and dropped her pistol. She was shaking uncontrollably and beginning to hyperventilate. David rushed to her, knowing exactly what was about to happen. She collapsed in his arms, breathing heavy and rambling incoherently. 

“I killed him, I killed someone. Holy shit, I killed someone. He’s dead. Oh fuck.” She went on like this for a moment, as David held her arms as she struggled. Then it was black. The last thing she remembered, she was looking at David as he spoke softly to her. “It’s ok, it’ll be ok."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's kinda all over the place, I apologize for that. Please enjoy though. I'm really enjoying writing this, and I hope yall enjoy.

Emma woke sometime in the night. She was confused. The last thing she remembered was David holding her. Then she remembered. She killed someone and was freaking out about it. She actually killed someone. She banished the thought quickly. She knew if she didn’t she’d start freaking out again. Then she realized: this wasn’t her room. It was the smell. It was a beautiful Elizabeth Taylor perfume. She realized it was Regina’s perfume. 

She raised up slowly, no longer in alarm, but still on edge. She uncovered and found herself dressed in pajamas, rather nice silk ones, stood up and walked around the room to find the light. When she turned it on, her eyes lit up. It was huge! The drapes, big, thick, and expensive. The bed was huge and covered in beautiful satin. It was so beautiful. She wandered around for a minute, just admiring the immense detail. She eventually found her clothes, new clothes, on the dresser. Someone had obviously went to her home and got them. She dressed quickly and left her hair down. She didn’t quite think she would have to work today, anyway. 

Emma exited the room and started walking down the hallway. It really was a mansion in here. It was absolutely huge. She knew it was big, but she didn’t think it would be this big. She kept walking until she came to a big ballroom. She stopped and looked around. Giant chandeliers hung from the ceiling. There were huge framed art on the walls and the ceiling was painted. She felt like she was in the presence of royalty. 

“Oh I’m so glad to see you’re up and around.” Regina gleamed as she came over to Emma, out of nowhere seemingly. “I’m sorry you had to wake up like that, it was probably very off putting. You’re probably wondering what all happened.” She said after she gave Emma a big hug and then walked over to a table and got some water and brought back to Emma. Emma gladly accepted the water and smiled to Regina as she too a drink. 

“I know what happened, just not after I passed out.” She said after she set the glass of water down. “But I feel like I need some air, if that’s ok?” Emma asked politely. 

“Oh, of course. Come on!” Regina beamed gleefully as she led her through the house and out into the yard. Emma felt 10x better when she breathed in the fresh air. Regina led them to some chairs on the patio and sat down. Emma sat down across from her, smiling as she closed her eyes and let the sun beam on her. She loved that feeling.   
“Well, after you fainted, we had to haul both you and Jefferson to the horses. I had thought you would wake up, but David said that usually when a panic attack causing fainting, you’re out for a while. So we let you rest, as best as we could. When we got back here and you were still out, I had him carry you to that room and let you sleep.” Regina said as she watched Emma in the sun. My god, she thought. What a beautiful sight. 

“What happened to Jefferson? And what did David do about the incident?” Emma asked with a hint of fright in her voice. She knew she killed someone, and she knew that doesn’t go unpunished. 

Regina sighed lightly and hesitated. “Well, Jefferson is on his way to rehab. As of an hour ago, he’s still enroute. And David is in the middle of that. He’s writing up as him and I were there, and he… killed that man. He was Jefferson’s dealer. I was curious as to why he was there though. His name is…was Killian Jones. He was a very bad person, and a worse drug dealer. He beat people, he’s had rape charges filed against him and dropped later, probably due to fear or intimidation. He cut his drugs with lethal products, like fentanyl. He was a horrible person, and the world is a little better from him death. ” She said as she looked out towards the mountains. 

Emma finally opened her eyes and looked at Regina. Now there was a sight. “It doesn’t matter why he was there. It doesn’t matter what happened now. It’s over.” She said plainly. Yes, she was freaking out inside. Yes, she had to live with that weight. But she understood that if she hadn’t killed that man, she could’ve died or been raped. Or David could’ve died. Or Regina. God, Regina. So no, she couldn’t feel bad about it. She saved Regina, David and herself. “So what happens now, Regina?” She asked.

Regina looked at her confused. “What do you mean, Emma?”

“I mean, what happens now? Do I have to leave? Am I gonna be in trouble with David? I know he’s covering that up, but it doesn’t mean he won’t be mad at me. I just want to know if I need to pack my stuff and go?” She said, her voice quivering slightly, but he head still high. She didn’t want to leave, but she wouldn’t do it on bad terms. At least, as much as she could help it. 

Regina just looked at her. How could she be so afraid? How could she think that her family would banish her? “What happens now is I wire you $100,00 and we go back to our lives, Emma. Nothing bad is going to happen to you. I don’t want you to leave, if you don’t want to.” She said with pleading in her voice. 

Emma’s whole disposition lightened when she heard that. She was so thankful to hear that because she definitely did not want to leave. “Thank you.” She said, smiling towards Regina. “Thank you so much, Regina.” 

Regina blushed. “You don’t have anything to thank me for, Emma. You did a job for me, and you did it very well. I’m thankful for that. And I like to think, I might have found a friend, too.” She added, smiling. 

Now Emma was blushing. Hard. But she smiled at Regina. “I like to think that, too.” She paused, then continued. “I’m gonna go head home and take a shower, if that’s ok?” 

“Oh, of course.” Regina smiled as she stood up. “Please, go rest. And take tomorrow off, too. If you want the week, just let me know. It’ll be fine.” 

Emma thanked her and left, walking to her house off to the north. She was looking at the ranch and all it had to bare: the barns, the cook houses for the employees who chose to eat there, the semi trucks and trailers lined up, the pickup trucks and trailers lined up, and all the equipment you could imagine. To her, $100,000 was more money than she’d ever seen before. But to the Mills, it was pocket change. She could point out 20 different things that were $100,000 each and it just astounded her. Money was always something Emma was rather selfish with, being she never had very much. Though, the last few years, she had more than most of her life. 

After she got home, she immediately went and showered in the hottest water she could manage. When she emerged, she dressed in sweats and a tank top. Since she wasn’t going to work, she wanted to be comfortable. For the rest of the day, she lounged in her house and napped, off and on. But that night, she found it troubling to sleep. All she thought about was Regina basking in the sunlight. Her olive skin glowed, literally. And she was having a REALLY hard time not fantasizing about her.   
Only late that night, she found herself looking up porn. Again. Like always. She was looking up brunette and getting VERY turned on. More than usual, she thought. God, what was wrong with her? Regina is her friend, her employer, her boss. Mmmmmm her boss. Yes, Miss Mills. No, no, no. She can’t think like this about Regina. She’s so sweet and kind and has been a legitimate friend to Emma. So kind, and sweet, and so damn nice. So nice. Oh god, she was so nice. Her beautiful hair, waving around. Her hips, oh beautiful hips. Before she knew it, her own hips were bucking and jerking in that beautiful familiar way. She dropped her phone a while ago, realizing the last 20 minutes were solely spent fantasizing about Regina. And coming to her. Oh she needed help. She definitely needed help. 

She woke up around 6am feeling restless. She knew she couldn’t go back to sleep, and with not working today, she didn’t know what to do. In the 3 years she’d been here, she never hardly ventured into town unless it was to Walmart to get food, and an occasional movie. She had Facebook, but she only had her few friends from Boston on it, and for sale sites around Sheridan. She had gone over the mountain a few times over to Greybull for horse deals, but never tried anything social. She checked her phone and looked up anything going around Sheridan the next few days. She might take Regina up on her offer to take the rest of the week off. She earned it. She worked hard for them, she earned a little free time to herself. 

She found that the county rodeo was happening this week. And she decided she’d go to that. So she got up and showered again. She dressed in her nicer wranglers and button up shirt and decided to wear her cowboy hat. It wasn’t a gas station hat by any means, but wasn’t fancy. One she generally wore in the summer anyway. She put on her nicer square toe boots and grabbed her Glock and put her holster on and checked it. She grabbed her two extra magazines and phone and headed out the door. She had two different vehicles: an old yellow bug that she hadn’t got running yet, and a nice newer diesel pickup she bought last year. She loved this truck. Leather interior, lots of towing power and low miles. And it was a standard. She taught herself how to drive it, and was very proud of that. 

It was 7:30 when she left, and it was a half hour drive from the ranch into town. She wanted to eat breakfast, she was very hungry this morning. She overheard Merle talking about a place called The Silver Spur, where a lot of the cowboys went in and ate breakfast and lunch, and decided she’d finally try it. While she was driving though, her mind drifted back to that one place she kept pulling it away from. Regina. Why was she so fixated on her? Why did she like her so much? Maybe they could be friends, yeah. But Regina wouldn’t be interested in women. Homegrown ranch girl in conservative country liking women? Even bisexual would be a stretch. No, Regina was her employer. She paid her to do a job.   
She decided to check her bank real quick. When she pulled up her banking app, she slammed the brakes on her pickup and almost ended up in the ditch. She stared at her phone for a few seconds before closing and reopening the app. She did this three times, and still couldn’t believe it. There was $100,000 there. Just like Regina said. But there was also another $400,000 with it that had never been discussed nor agreed on. Now, if this had been 6 years ago, this would be different. She’d have gone to the bank, and after confirming its not a mistake, she’d have withdrawn all the money and kept it in cash in her house. But this was very different. These were very rich, very powerful people. And on top of that, this was Regina’s family, and her money. She couldn’t just take this money. She turned her truck around and drove back towards the ranch. She knew she was probably gonna make a fool out of herself, but she had to make sure this wasn’t some mistake. 

She came screeching up to the mansion and stopped. She got and ran up to the door and knocked on it feverishly. She was breathing heavy and told herself she needed to calm down. She had to calm down. When one of the maids answered the door, they escorted her to a study and told her to wait and someone will be right there. She was calm now and looking around. It was just like a study in a movie. Large and bookcases that enclosed the whole room, with a rolling ladder to go between and up high. There were bottles of what she supposed were very expensive and old whiskey on a table, and she could faintly smell cigar smoke. She was enjoying the ambiance of the room when she heard the door open. A man walked inside, and he wasn’t anyone she’d seen before. 

He came in with a cane and a slight limp, wearing very expensive clothes, and she noticed a gold tooth when he smiled at her. That smile was chilling. “Miss Swan, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He extended his hand to her. She knew he wasn’t from here. She accepted and shook his hand. “My name is Mr. Gold.” He smiled at her as he said it. She knew he was though; the lawyer David went on about. She didn’t think this was gonna go well. “What can I do for you today, dearie?” He asked as he hobbled over to the desk and sat down, pouring two glasses of whiskey and offering her one. She accepted it. 

“I was hoping to meet with Henry Mills, or even Cora or Regina.” She said shyly, taking a sip of her drink. Fuck, was that good. “There seems to be a problem with my payment.” She stated simply, not know exactly what he knew of their particular situation. 

“Problem?” He sounded genuinely confused, then chuckled to himself. “Oh I see, there’s more money than originally agreed on, correct?” He asked amused. He hadn’t given her to chance to answer yet though. “Miss Swan, please sit down. I feel like I should explain this to you. It’s purely professional.” He said, pointing to the chair in front of the desk. She sat down and eyed him. She couldn’t quite figure him out. 

“Yes, there is more money than originally agreed upon, Miss Swan. That is for several reasons. The first being Regina. She insisted that we give you more, she felt compelled even. The unfortunate death of Mr. Jones was unforeseen, therefor was out of your control.” He saw her confused and frightened look on her face. He quickly spoke. “I’m their lawyer, Miss Swan. If there’s two people you never lie to, it’s your doctor and your lawyer. I was the one who instructed Mr. Nolan to first give you his government issue carry piece, for this very reason. I was also the one who advised Mr. Nolan to amend his statement, and slightly bend the truth in what happened there. I’m also the one who arranged the rehab for Regina’s brother. Do these explanations satisfy you so far, ma’am?” He asked smiling. She just nodded and took another drink, this time she drank the whole glass and sighed deeply. Mr. Gold chuckled and got the bottle to refill her glass. After he did, he continued.

“Now you’re wondering why there’s an extra $400,000 we sent you. Well it’s simple Miss Swan. While we’re not trying to buy off your conscious, we’re trying to make up for these unfortunate circumstances. And we’re also trying to ensure… a certain amount of disclosure.” He eyed her carefully. “Please don’t take that the wrong way. But Mr. Nolan has prepared his statement the way he has to keep everyone out of trouble, while still telling the truth about what happened. And we need it to stay that way.” He finished, and gestured to Emma to speak freely. 

She hesitated, not knowing what to do. What if she offended them by refusing the money? What if she did accept it and they saw that as thievery or something? She thought for a minute, took a drink, then spoke. “I really appreciate the extra money, Mr. Gold. But it doesn’t feel right taking it. Technically, Regina’s first offer was $50,000. Now, she did up it to $100,000, but I never accepted that. Technically.” She stated shyly. She didn’t actually know where this was going, but she was hoping it would be over soon. 

But Mr. Gold just chuckled. “So, Miss Swan, you’re saying you don’t want an extra 50, much less an extra 450?” He asked her smiling. 

“Well now, its not that-“ She started, but was quickly cut off by Gold.

“Miss Swan, while I had agreed with this, I’m only doing what I was asked to do by the family. Should you truly feel the need to give back an extra $450,000 then you’ll have to take it up with someone in the family. I can’t accept that money, I can only move it back once it’s sent back to the account it came from. And I truly implore to rethink this. It’s half a million dollars, Miss Swan. You can do wonderful things with this money, you can party and get really high with this money, you can do whatever you want with it.” He said to her with a small smile. 

“I don’t even know what to do with a half million dollars.” She said almost inaudibly. “What could I even do with it?” She asked more herself anyone else. 

Mr. Gold leaned back in his chair and drank down his glass of whiskey and poured himself another, and refilled Emma’s. “Well, in case you do choose to keep it, I can set you up an account where it can sit and collect interest. That particular account requires $100,000 of it to stay in there, and you have full access to the rest of it.” He said. He understood the awkward position she was in, and he was genuinely trying to help. “Or, we can set you up an agriculture account where you can run your own cows or do some of your own farming. You could open a business account and run your own business of some kind. You could even quit and travel the world and settle down somewhere, if you manage it correctly. There’s so much you could do with this money Miss Swan. But do you want my suggestion?” He asked sincerely. She just nodded. “Don’t do anything right now. Go on about your life for now as usual, and think about it. You’ll change ideas ten times before you finally come to your decision.” 

He slowly rose to his feet. Emma could see his leg was pretty useless. But that cane, she knew it was something more than just a cane. She really looked at it now. It looked like red oak wood, with a carved snake running the length of it, and a silver handle that didn’t quite match it. She thought it might be an heirloom or maybe even sword, but she’d never ask. He slowly made his way over next to her chair and stopped for a minute. 

“Listen. I’ve known this family for many years, and save for Jefferson, they are the best people you could’ve hoped to work for around here. They will be cavalry in your time of need, or they can be your nightmare. It is always dependent on you. My advice? Stay and make the best of this. This could be an opportunity presented to you. A new life for you.” He said it all genuinely and walked out. 

But Emma couldn’t move. She was still stunned. Half a million dollars. Damn. There was so much she could do. So many places she could. She could do so much. No, Gold is right. She shouldn’t make big decisions yet. She should wait and clear her mind. She checked her watch, 9:30am. She’s still got time to go eat breakfast. So she headed back out to her pickup and drove off. 

When she got to The Silver Spur, she was genuinely impressed. The glass table tops had cool nick nack stuff in them, newspaper clippings and stuff. The staff were all polite and smiling. And Merle was right. Mostly older cowboys. Some younger guys in the back, which is where Emma sat. She sat in a corner, where she could see the entrance from the front and the back door. And she wasn’t even paying attention to it all. The waitress kept having to snap or something to get her attention. Emma apologized and ordered what she wanted, coffee and their wonderful smelling biscuits and gravy platter. It sure sounded good. 

She kept staring at her phone. At the bank account. She was still in awe of it all. Half a million dollars. Jesus, man. She had all these wonderful ideas, big ideas, but then she dismissed most of them. She knew it would just be money wasted. She had to talk to Gold more. He definitely knew about this kind of stuff, and he seemed genuine in all his response. 

Her breakfast was superb. She was definitely going to make this a normal occurrence. It was wonderful. And all through breakfast, she had caught the eye of a younger cowboy sitting in the back. He was flashing her smiles and she did admit that he was rather good looking. He had that scruffy, squinty eye Clint Eastwood thing going for him. While Emma was a lesbian, she had been known to fool around with men sometimes, too. But not very much. She found them to be more disappointing than adventurous. Still though, she didn’t mind this guy. But before she got the chance to even say ‘hi’, a woman walked in and joined him. That usually wouldn’t have upset her, but she saw how they kissed when she sat down. Now she was just mad. That guy smiling at her like that. 

She finished her breakfast and stayed a while for the coffee. And the waitress. She was a beautiful, leggy brunette who was definitely not shy. She was being very friendly with Emma and the banter was going pretty well. She didn’t think anything about it, she was just enjoying it. Then someone walked in that she hadn’t thought about. It was Regina. Emma hadn’t lifted up or anything, and now she was wondering why. Why is she so awkward now? But before she could think about it, Regina saw her and rushed right over. She was smiling ear to ear and glowing in her dress. Damn, Emma thought. A fuckin’ dress that’s barely higher than her knees and her glowing skin. Emma subconsciously crossed her legs. 

“Hey, Emma. How’s your food? How’s it going?” She beamed as she sat down across from Emma. Emma just kind of stumbled over herself until she could find her words. 

“It was- was good. Really good actually. They have the best biscuits I’ve ever had.” She said, smiling back to Regina. 

“I’m very happy to hear that. I love this place. I’ve been coming here most of my life.” Regina gleamed as Ruby came up. 

“Oh hey, girl.” The leggy brunette said as she walked back over. “How are you? You haven’t been in in a while. I was getting worried about you.” She said smiling ear to ear as well, showing her beautiful white teeth. “What can I get you, Gina? Regular?” She asked brightly. 

“Nothing for me today, Rubes. Just some coffee if you would please.” Regina replied with a smile. Ruby cheerfully took off and got her coffee and brought back. She sensed some of the tension and left. Regina took a sip and then looked at Emma, who was openly staring at her, smiling. 

“So, I see you took advantage of some days off?” She asked, looking at her and smiling back.

“Oh yeah, yeah. I’ve never come in and done anything besides go to Walmart, really. And the county rodeo is going on, so I figured, why not?” She gleamed. She couldn’t hide her genuine smile and excitement when she was around Regina. 

“So, you’re going to the rodeo tonight, then?” Regina asked casually. 

“Yeah, I’ve never actually been to one. So I wanted to see what the excitement was all about.” Emma said. Now she was feeling nervous. Nervous? Damn, this woman had her feeling nervous. “You wouldn’t happen to be going, would you?” She asked very nervously now, but she was trying her best to hold her composure.

Regina took a sip of her coffee and hesitated. She couldn’t be sure if Emma liked her, or not. And she didn’t want to get into anything with an employee. Oh who was she kidding? Emma is her friend. Maybe more… no, no, of course not. 

“I’ll be around.” She said simply, smiling as she drank the last of her coffee. “But I do need to get going. So, maybe I’ll see you later?” She asked as she stood up. 

“I hope so.” Emma said blushing. With that, Regina left, leaving Emma daydreaming about that beautiful dress. 

“She’s quite something, isn’t she?” Ruby said, appearing out of nowhere, seemingly. 

It took a second for Emma to compose herself. “Uh, yeah. She’s very nice.” She said, blushing.

“She’s special.” Ruby said as she sat down and refilled Emma’s cup and her own. “Her family has done so much for mine when they didn’t have to.” She said smiling, as if remembering fond memories. “I’m Ruby Lucas.” She extended her hand. 

Then Emma got it. “Lucas, that’s right. I’m Emma Swan.” She shook her hand. “Your family runs part of the Mills Ranch, David Nolan told me all about it.” 

“And you are the famous Emma Swan!” Ruby practically yelled. “Oh shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to say that. I’m sorry.” She said laughing.

“It’s ok,” Emma replied chuckling. “But how do you mean famous?” She asked as she sipped her coffee. 

“Well, David has told me a bit about you, and his wife mentioned you as well. I usually go to their house twice or three times a week for supper.” She said as she sipped her own coffee.

Now Emma was nervous. Really nervous. Surely David wouldn’t spill about what happened in the mountain, but who knows about his wife. No, surely she knows not to tell either. Emma just tried to play it cool. “All good things, I hope.” 

“Oh yes, of course. Not much anyway. David had mentioned he worked with you briefly and that you were an exceptional woman.” Ruby replied, beaming to Emma. 

Emma relaxed now. “Well, thank you. I appreciate that. I’ll have to thank David for the kind words next time I see him.” 

“Well, I better go. Maybe I’ll see you at the rodeo later.” Ruby said as she stood up and winked at Emma. “Sorry, I wasn’t eavesdropping, I swear.” She laughed and took off before Emma could reply. 

Emma stood up and left her only $100 bill on the table. She could afford to be nice. Especially after that wonderful encounter. 

She back out to her truck and sat there for a minute. She might see both of them there, but she really wanted to see Regina. Especially in that dress. Hopefully she would.


End file.
